The Saint Louis University men’s basketball team has found an international flavor as of late.
Two of its players, Cody Ellis and Rob Loe, are from Australia and New Zealand, respectively. Emmanuel Tselentakis, a 6-feet, 4-inches tall guard from Greece, recently inked to play for SLU. The team currently is in the midst of a 10-day, five-game exhibition tour.
The tour, an international trip allowed by the NCAA once every four years, has allowed the Billikens to hold 10 days of practice more than two months before the regular season is set to begin.
The extra practice time is vital for a team that seems to be an early season favorite for the Atlantic 10 Conference title.
As part of the exhibition tour, SLU plays four teams during their five-game tour. Two of those games, against the University of Windsor, in Windsor, Ontario, and the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario, have already occurred. SLU is 2-0.
Following an off day Wednesday, the Bills face the University of Ottawa Thursday, Aug. 25. SLU plays the first of two tilts against Carleton University Friday, Aug. 26, and wraps up the trip Saturday, Aug. 27, against the Ravens.
According to assistant coach Jim Whitesell, the team will also partake in team building activities, such as visiting arcades and going white water rafting in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.
When head coach Rick Majerus announced the trip in June, he handicapped the experience. “This is a great springboard into next season. It will be an educational and cultural endeavor,” Majerus said. “The SLU Billikens are the beneficiaries of what figures to be a wonderful experience in life and on the court.”
So far, the spring board has been set in the Billikens’ favor.
On August 22, SLU overwhelmed the University of Windsor Lancers 98-57. Five Billikens finished in double figures, led by junior Kwamain Mitchell and sophomore Mike McCall, who put up 16 points apiece.
Mitchell was 6-of-10 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from long range, while McCall hit seven of his nine shots and both of his chances from 3-point range.
As a team, the Billikens shot 60 percent from the floor (36-60) and 3-point range (9-15). SLU nailed 17 of its 20 chances from the free-throw line.
SLU took control of the game midway through the first half with three straight buckets, two by McCall and one by Mitchell, to put SLU on top 19-8. A John Manning jumper and Jake Barnett trey at the 8:39 mark stretched the SLU advantage to 24-12.
A one-handed jam by Cory Remekun gave the Billikens a 10-point lead at 26-16, and the Bills did not lose that double-digit margin the rest of the way.
The match-up against the University of Western Ontario on Tues., August 23, would play out similarly.
McCall led the Billikens with 16 points, while Mitchell scored 12. Barnett and Jett notched 11 points apiece. As a team, the Billikens shot 52 percent from the floor. Mitchell collected a team-high seven assists to just one turnover. Barnett and Loe led the team with five rebounds. Ellis tallied a team-high five steals.
The Billikens quickly built a double-digit lead and took a 50-21 lead at halftime. SLU has scored more than 50 in the first half of each of the first two games on the exhibition swing.
That swing continues on Aug. 25, as SLU takes on the University of Ottawa, and Friday and Saturday’s games against Carleton University.
